


Long Live the King

by grievingAuthor



Series: Long Live the King: an Elhokar Story [1]
Category: Cosmere - Brandon Sanderson, Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Elhokar Survives, Does moash have his own warning? Cause he's an asshole who deserves one, Feelings but only if you got attached to Elhokar by the time the thing happened, Gavinor doesnt have his own tag why doesn't he have his own tag, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I think?, Like i did ;-;, Oathbringer spoilers, Ok but who else was royally upset with elhokar's death?, The Battle for Kholinar, This is my first posting on here let me live
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-04-01 09:21:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13995240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grievingAuthor/pseuds/grievingAuthor
Summary: Three seconds.Two inches.One word.Elhokar breathed.





	Long Live the King

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first time posting on Ao3 and???? I hope you guys like it
> 
> Beta'd by the wonderful [Red Dragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Dragonn/pseuds/Red%20Dragon). Seriously, they're a lifesaver. Almighty knows what level of cringe this might've been without them

_**Life before -**_

Three seconds.

**_\- death. Strength before -_ **

Two inches.

**_\- weakness. Journey before -_ **

One word.

**_\- destination._ **

 

Elhokar breathed.

His cheek throbbed. He hacked a cough and blood poured down the side of his neck. His mouth was cold. And then it was tingling as the flesh and bone knit itself back together. Elhokar stared into his would-be killer’s eyes and saw horror and...what was that? Ah yes. Of course. A familiar hatred that Elhokar saw every time he looked in a mirror.

He recognized more than that, though. This man was a bridgeman. This man was once his guard. The one who tried to kill him months ago. This man had tried to kill him again.

This man had tried to seperate Elhokar from his _son_. The battle seemed to fade around them as Elhokar shifted closer to the wall, leaning against it.

“I know you,” he said, clutching Gavinor to his side, the drawing Brightness Davar had done of him crumpling slightly as his fist clenched. “Captain Kaladin has told me your reasons. And I don’t blame you for wanting me dead, Almighty knows so many others do as well. But please, let me get my son to safety.”

“Safety? Where were your thoughts of _safety_ when you locked two elderly people in the dirty dungeons of Kholinar?” the soldier growled. Elhokar exhaled sharply, remembering the way Roshone had manipulated him. Remembering the fear and confusion in the eyes of a pair of simple farmers as they were dragged before him for trial. Remembering the way he’d wished his uncle had taken the throne instead.

“I was - _am_ \- a terrible king. I’m a terrible king,” he said, glancing to the soldier’s right. Two kind faces watched him as tears welled in his eyes. “I’m a terrible king who has let others manipulate him into doing their bidding. But I won’t let it happen again.”

“What? Too cowardly to look me in the eye and say that? Too busy watching your men die?” The soldier turned, as if to gloat, but froze. The faces, full figures now despite being mostly fuzzy and indistinct, stared back at him.

“Mmmmm...these words arrrrre….accepteddddddd...” Elhokar felt more than heard the buzzing voice. It came from beside him, from what looked like an embellishment on the wall. No, not an embellishment. A _spren_. Elhokar watched the creature slide down the wall, then up his leg, settling on his knee. The soldier was still staring at the wispy images of his grandparents.

“You...you’re dead. You aren’t real. Almighty. Almighty above, why this, why show me _this?!_ ” he demanded, growing hysteric.

“Because, Moash,” another voice said, this time accompanying a figure that stepped between the king and his assailant, “it’s his hardest truth. Your Highness, I suggest you follow the others out to the Oathgate. Get the prince to safety.  I’ll take care of this.”

“I...yes, captain,” the king said softly, standing up and hoisting his crying son up into his arms, feeling the strange spren - _his_ spren? - climb up and settle on his shoulder.

The captain was better equipped to fight the former bridgeman. Elhokar knew that. Still, it felt almost like his was breaking the oath he’d just sworn by listening to the man. There was a difference, though, between listening to Kaladin now and listening to Roshone all those years ago. _This_ time, he wasn’t sending innocent people to their deaths. _This_ time, he was saving his son’s life and preventing the already fragile kingdom from crumbling in the wake of his death. His pride was not worth his country. Kaladin could take care of himself. All Elhokar had to do, right here, right now, was protect his son. Elhokar would die before he let any more harm come to his boy.

  
And Elhokar was going to be a lot harder to kill now, wasn’t he?

**Author's Note:**

> First fic posted here, so lemme know what you think. Drop a kudos if you liked it, yeah?


End file.
